Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 07.30 by rapture83 (edited Tue 19 Jan 2021 07.32 by rapture83)
Hi guys,
I hope everyone is well!
I was wondering if anyone has used this handheld UVB device before or anything similar? I’ve been doing some research on it and almost all of the reviews and YouTube videos of this model and others like it have been extremely positive! The device is around 140, I’m very tempted to take the hit and go for it as the daily creams etc.....are starting to really wear me down. I have Guttate P, just smallish round patches, it’s basically all over my legs and I have 2 larger patches just above each elbow, thankfully my back I only have the odd tiny spot here and there but my legs are a mess, I also have scalp P, for that I am prescribed Diprosalic lotion from my GP and wash my hair using a combination of Johnston’s Baby Shampoo and The Body Shop Ginger Shampoo, that works for me but again, it is a pain doing the lotion twice a week. I’ve used every cream and foam under the sun, some look like they are starting to work then eventually make no difference, the foams work then it seems to make it worse when stopped so recently I’ve been using nothing but organic 100% natural coconut oil, this does nothing but sooth everything, Skin feels nice but the red spots and patches still there, it’s that bad I can’t wear shorts, I live in the U.K. so that’s not too bad but still in the summer, horrendous. I have stopped drinking alcohol for the past 4 weeks and been eating well, no difference.
I think due to my Guttate P and me having lots of individual spots that the UVB handheld device would cover most of the areas due to its size....aI’m thinking, what have I got to lose? Do I fork out 140 that I would probably spend on trying new creams and stuff over the course of the year anyway? Not sure what to do!
Any advice for experiences would be great!
Thanks!
Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 07.34 by scarletsmummy
I purchased a hand held a few years ago hoping for a bit of relief from not only the Psoriasis but also the daily grind of rituals with the creams and lotions, however after paying our £240 i was sadly disappointed. I saw no difference at all and i asked my dermatologist he said if these gadgets worked they would be prescribed on the Health Service as it would save a huge fortune in prescription fees . so by all means give it a go but don't expect miracles
Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 07.52 by rapture83
Thanks for the reply Scarletsmummy, really disappointed to read that there, after the reviews and videos I thought this could finally be an escape route but to read the 1st reply of it being useless is a blow, sometimes you don’t know wether to laugh or cry :-(
Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 08.46 by scarletsmummy
I have had Psoriasis for 35 years and believe me I wish i could have every pound back that i have spent on gadgets and lotions ,Like you i follow all the posts and hope one day i will find relief. My worse place now is my scalp ,I was put onto Acitretin for about 6 months but had so many severe side effects ,Lost all my bodily hair, eyebrows ,lashes etc etc and my scalp hair fell out in clumps, I developed severe Sciatica and my lips were so sore i could not even drink without a straw it did however ease the Psoriasis but since being off the tablets the Psoriasis is back on my scalp so i am back to the Cocois and the shampoos .I hope you find some relief
Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 09.09 by rapture83 (edited Tue 19 Jan 2021 09.15 by rapture83)
It would be great to hear if other people have had different experiences with the handheld UVB devices, I guess everyone is different, some people it may work and others not so much, it’s a lot of money tho so I’m just trying to be sure!
As for your scalp, ask your GP for Diprosalic, it will help you massively! If you can’t see your GP and you are in the U.K. you can also buy it online, it’s around 35 pounds I think from an online pharmacy so jot cheap. It’s a clear water-like substance than I just squirt over my scalp a few times a week, as it’s like water you can spread it with your fingers so the small-ish bottle lasts! As I say I use Johnston’s baby shampoo as it’s free of most chemicals and put a blob of body shop’s ginger shampoo in with it and wash my hair with those, the results have been great! Don’t get me wrong, when I stop Diprosalic for any more than a week I notice the red patches again under my hair and the flakes but this certainly keeps it under control!
Posted Tue 19 Jan 2021 09.34 by scarletsmummy
i have diprosalic which unfortunately has very little effect , i think if i was man i would shave my head and it would at least have a chance of working , Onwards and upwards as they say , we have to try these things
Posted Wed 27 Jan 2021 16.38 by Steph1990
@rapture83 hi! I’m thinking the same thing as currently suffering with small patches on face & neck (body has been under control since having light treatment through nhs in 2019)
The handheld unit I’ve seen is £200+
My skin always clears in the sunshine so thinking this could do the trick.
Have you purchased since your first post? Would be good to hear your experience if so!
Posted Fri 29 Jan 2021 02.40 by Alibags
I purchased Dermfix UVB lamp 3 weeks ago as I cant get to Dermatology and its actually helped with psorasis on my feet. It's no overnight sensation but it has reduced the inflammation and itch. I know its not a cure but it's seems easier than the constant merry go round of aggravating creams. I'd said say my condition isnt severe as some but despite its price Im glad I give it a go.
Posted Fri 29 Jan 2021 06.15 by rapture83 (edited Fri 29 Jan 2021 06.23 by rapture83)
Hi, yeah I ended up buying it guys! As of today this is my first full week of using it, I’ve basically used it 5 days out of the 7 and have followed the manual on how long to use it which is 29 seconds each area. My guttate P is pretty bad on my legs front and back so it’s a bit time consuming but I’ve started doing it while watching Netflix which is helping! First week results, to be honest I’ve not seen any major changes, the patches do kinda look slightly less inflamed and more crusty as I’m not putting anything on them, some of the patches have been quite itchy which I’m fighting not to touch, I’ve read that happens the first week but I’ve also read that you won’t really start to see any sort of results until at least 3-5 weeks so you have to be patient. As of today/tomorrow I will be upping the time of each area as per the booklet, I’ll let you know how I get on in a week or 2.
@steph1990 if you have had previous success tho with UVB treatment then this lamp should 100% work for you, it’s the exact same thing only handheld! Sadly for me I’m going into this with no previous UVB sessions so it’s a gamble for me!
If you are like me and are sick of lotions and creams then it might be worth a go, the device is light and easy to use! I’m done with steroids as they have made me worse! I’ll report back soon, thanks!
Posted Fri 29 Jan 2021 06.19 by rapture83
@alibags did it take until at least the 3rd week until you seen any results? Great news it’s helping you! For me I know nothing will ever cure psoriasis and I don’t actually mind if it’s there, I just wish I wasn’t red, that’s the major downside, everything else I could live with ☹️
Posted Fri 29 Jan 2021 10.47 by Alibags
@rapture83. I've used it every other day for the 3 weeks following the guidelines of increased exposure. It's very gradually reduced the scaling and I can see patches of clear skin appearing. Its very drying and the cracks feel a bit raw but then in morning it feels better and a bit smoother. I've not suffered any "sunburn" effects. But I can now walk on it better which is a result as far as I'm concerned. I've continued with my steroid creams but not needed as much. I read of mixed results with these lamps but it's helped. Good luck with it
Posted Tue 2 Mar 2021 15.12 by Steph1990
@rapture83 how are you getting on? I purchased a handheld device, I think I’m on week 4, and it’s definitely improved!
Hope you’re winning too!!
Can I ask how long you are holding it on each section?
My booklet is for scalp treatment so only gives times based on the whole of the scalp where as I’m using it on my face and neck - i started slow but I’m up to 2 mins on each section but just wanted to know if that’s too long or about right!!
Thanks
Posted Tue 2 Mar 2021 16.58 by rapture83
@steph1990, glad to hear you are seeing some improvement! I think I’m on week 6 or 7, I’ll be honest on week 5 I only used it once on the Monday that full week as I was busy and didn’t see too much change in terms of it getting worse again, just kinda stayed the same! Currently I’m about the same as I was the last time I posted, the majority of the patches are all pink-ish instead of bright red and sore and another large number of them are either a bruised colour or more or less skin colour (unable to see them but if you run your finger over them you can feel it) so all in all there is defo an improvement! I’m currently on 1 minute 33 seconds per patch as of this week but I think I’m going to increase it to 2 mins per patch now that the areas I use it on show no sign of burning after 1.30 mins!
The bottom half of my legs have seen the most improvement which I’m happy with as the summer is coming up so hopefully I can get them completely sorted, wishful thinking eh! The top part of my legs (the worst area) are still slowly progressing! Something I have noticed is that some of my bigger patches on the top half of my legs (front and back of thighs) went a pinkish colour / red pin spots like it’s each hair follicle if that makes sense, not sure if that’s a good sign or not!
It’s a bit time consuming for me as I have so many spots and patches, if I do my whole body it can take me over an hour so I tend to split up the sessions, it’s 100% improving slowly so I’ll continue at it! The only change to my diet is that I’ve cut out Eggs, Cows Milk and coffee.
Keep me posted on your progress Steph!
Posted Sun 7 Mar 2021 22.12 by Marc512
Hey All,
Im looking to purchase a handheld UVB light and give it a go but i'm unsure where the best place to order one from.
Im a bit hesitant when it comes to using new websites I haven't heard of before but i'd really appreciate some direction to where everyone else purchased theres from?
Thanks
Posted Mon 8 Mar 2021 06.53 by scarletsmummy
Marc512 if you are going to purchase one most people seem to go with the Dermfix 1000MX and i would purchase from an official source ,Dermfix have them £169 on there website but i am sure some have other makes they can recommend
Posted Mon 8 Mar 2021 07.18 by rapture83
Hi Mark,
As Scarlet said, this thread is about the Dermfix handheld lamp, have a read through it, you’ll get a rough idea how we have experienced it, if you go directly to their website it’s completely safe, after mine was ordered it arrived within 2 days by tracking mail.
Posted Tue 9 Mar 2021 10.12 by Steph1990
@rapture83 ok fab thank you, my arm aches holding it up to my neck for 2 mins 😂
Sounds like yours is going in the right direction. I totally know how you feel, my legs used to be covered and I’d live in trousers!! Light treatment is a game changer! Could the pinpricks be a slight burn? Or heat rash type thing?
I’ve tried to narrow it down to my diet but nothing seems to do the trick and my will power is rubbish!!
@marc512 I ended up going with the Much Better Skin handheld device, it’s more expensive but after reading reviews of the company on this site i went for it. But I think they are all really similar! Just check that the device has Philips bulbs. Good luck!
Posted Sun 5 Sep 2021 07.05 by Jk1891
Hi everyone! Hope you’re all well.
Firstly, I’d just like to say how glad I am to have seen this forum - it’s nice to see (if nice is the right word) there are people in the same position as me.
This is going to sound random, but does anyone know whether this works on brown skin?
Things like laser treatment for hair removal don’t work for me, but then my argument to myself is that my scales aren’t brown so I’m theory it should work??
Im just scared of spending so much on it, does anyone know if there are any cheaper options out there?
Thanks guys, for putting me at ease that there are others out there with the same skin issues as me.
J x
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